Experience Daytona from a different perspective with a float down the Halifax River

Imagine gliding along the surface of Daytona’s calm Halifax River. The sounds you hear are the small waves lapping against your board and your paddle slicing into the current. You’re focused on a stream of rippling current a few yards in front of you, and suddenly a manatee, with its strange and chubby Shar-Pei like face, breaks through the surface and makes a brief and memorable experience.

A few minutes later, you hear a gasp of air and see a fin bob up and down again, followed by a slightly larger fin a few yards away. A pair of dolphins – a mother and its calf most likely – are sharing your space. The smaller one gets playful and swims circles around you and your group as you continue to quietly float, paddle in hand, and truly enjoy the moment.

This scene sounds as if it’s straight from a movie. But you could actually experience this – or something pretty close to it – on a stand up paddle boarding tour with Three Brothers Boards of Daytona. Since 2010, Three Brothers Boards has been operating their shop on the Halifax river front. The story of their shop’s origins could be taken from a movie as well. The youngest brother suddenly passed away in 2009, and eight months later, one of his brothers had a revelation while paddling. He called the other brother, and they decided to give up their office jobs and start a company doing what they love. They’d grown up on the water surfing, and this seemed to be the perfect way to honor him while doing something that they love.

Today, the brothers and their small staff not only make the boards they sell in their shop, but they also offer SUP tours along the Halifax River. The one-hour tour takes a group of up to about 12 through bird sanctuaries, mangrove trails and more. An introductory lesson is given, and most people pick up the basics of SUP quickly. While it does take some physical strength and skill, the tour can be enjoyed by a wide variety of age groups.

For a bit more of a challenge, Three Brothers Boards also offers a SUP Paddle Fit Tour and Class, which can focus on legs, core and arms with cardiovascular and aerobic elements. This is a unique way to get a fantastic workout in a setting that far outweighs a hotel gym. Three Brothers is also partnering with a local yoga studio to offer SUP yoga – that’s right, yoga on a board, floating in water. The fitness and yoga classes are recommended for those with SUP experience, so start out with the basics and book a memory-making SUP tour on your next visit to Daytona.

Stand up paddle boarding (SUP) is one of the fastest-growing water sports in the country. While some form of stand up paddling has been around since the 1800s, possibly even earlier, the modern recreational form dates back to Hawaii in the 1960s and sprung from surfers paddling out on their boards to take photographs from the water of other surfers. In the last decade, it has quickly caught on throughout the country, and not just on the coasts. Rivers and lakes are popular for paddle boarders, and just about anywhere you go that has water will have a company that sells, rents or offers tours on paddle boards.

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